About The Artist

Through painting & songwriting I strive to convey a sense of place influenced by the lyrical themes found in traditional Appalachian & Celtic music.

My artwork incorporates an imaginative & illustrative quality informed by colors & shapes found in plants, & also by the nature of whichever medium I am using. I look to illustrators of children's stories for inspiration, & also Vincent Van Gogh (Dutch post-impressionist, 1853-1890) & the Group Of Seven (Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933).

The songs I write combine traditional Appalachian & Celtic tones with contemporary & personal subjects. Favorite themes include home, unrequited love & long journeys. I turn to my banjo & fiddle for harmony with my voice, & my singing in turn plays off of the rhythms & phrases I play on my instruments.

I grew up in Banner Elk, Boone, Morganton, & Asheville, North Carolina. I earned my BA in painting at the University of North Carolina at Asheville while also performing traditional & original music on the fiddle & banjo throughout the region. I continue to perform & teach music, & I work from my home in Saluda, North Carolina.